'"And henceforward," said De Aquila, "I counsel thee to serve one master--not two."
'"What?" said Fulke. "Can I work no more honest trading between the two sides these troublous times?"
'"Serve Robert or the King--England or Normandy," said De Aquila. "I care not which it is, but make thy choice here and now."
'"The King, then," said Fulke, "for I see he is better served than Robert. Shall I swear it?"
'"No need," said De Aquila, and he laid his hand on the parchments which Gilbert had written. "It shall be some part of my Gilbert's penance to copy out the savoury tale of thy life, till we have made ten, twenty, an hundred, maybe, copies. How many cattle, think you, would the Bishop of Tours give for that tale? Or thy brother? Or the Monks of Blois? Minstrels will turn it into songs which thy own Saxon serfs shall sing behind their plough-stilts, and men-at-arms riding through thy Norman towns. From here to Rome, Fulke, men will make very merry over that tale, and how Fulke told it, hanging in a well, like a drowned puppy. This shall be thy punishment, if ever I find thee double-dealing with thy King any more. Meantime, the parchments stay here with thy son. Him I will return to thee when thou hast made my peace with the King. The parchments never."
'"Bones of the Saints!" said De Aquila, laughing. "The pen cuts deep. I could never have fetched that grunt out of thee with any sword."
'"But so long as I do not anger thee, my tale will be secret?" said Fulke.
'"Just so long. Does that comfort thee, Fulke?" said De Aquila.
'"What other comfort have ye left me?" he said, and of a sudden he wept hopelessly like a child, dropping his face on his knees.'
'"After the spur, corn," said De Aquila, and he threw Fulke three wedges of gold that he had taken from our little chest by the bedplace.
'"If I had known this," said Fulke, catching his breath, "I would never have lifted hand against Pevensey. Only lack of this yellow stuff has made me so unlucky in my dealings."
'It was dawn then, and they stirred in the Great Hall below. We sent down Fulke's mail to be scoured, and when he rode away at noon under his own and the King's banner, very splendid and stately did he show. He smoothed his long beard, and called his son to his stirrup and kissed him. De Aquila rode with him as far as the New Mill landward. We thought the night had been all a dream.'